By Brian V.
This started with me as a senior in high school. I played baseball and had a game on the day you had to call to get tickets (Because ticketmaster sucks) I had the number all set up for my mom. All she had to do was call and get the tickets.
The whole week I bugged her about getting the tickets and reminded her that it was a certain time she had to call, and I told her that even if she got a busy signal, she had to hang up and keep trying. So the whole game I kept thinking I hope my mom got those tickets. We had to go into extra innings and I was able to hit a sacrifice fly to get the winning run in. After the game my mom came to talk to me. The first question out of my mouth was “did you get the tickets?”
She played it off so well and gave me a long story about how she kept trying and calling, but she kept getting the busy signal. This went on for about 15 minutes. I was so disappointed but even at 18 years old I thanked her for trying, and then she leaned in to give me a hug cause she could see I was upset.
Then she said those beautiful words “I got the tickets!” I screamed and picked her up and was so excited.
So now the waiting game. I was graduating from high school about 3 weeks before the concert. It was like the best graduation present ever! My mom had bought 3 tickets for me, my best friend and my older brother. Mom did not trust us to go to Sacramento by ourselves.
June 22nd 1995, had finally arrived and I was so excited. I kept asking my brother when we were going to leave. So we got to Cal Expo, it was a hot summer day. But I did not even care, I was going to see my favorite band for the first time.
Bad Religion comes out and puts on a great opening set! I remember working my way to the second row of the pit as the band walks out and I can’t believe that I am 40 feet from them.
“Release” starts and I have the biggest smile on my face. Then they hit us with “Last Exit” and “Spin the Black Circle.” Then they started playing “Jeremy,” but it was a slow version and it took my breath away.
Then “Go,” “Even Flow” and then “Daughter” with another bring in the wall (tag). Then what came next was my favorite Pearl Jam song ever, “Rearviewmirror”. It started slow and then just hit me like a ton of bricks!!! This cemented my love of this band and this song! Then to close out the first part of the set was “Black,” “Alive” and “Blood”.
I truly thought I was in heaven on earth. There was a point in the show where people were throwing stuff on stage and I can’t for the life of me remember why people were doing it. The guy next to me found a black Converse shoe on the ground a threw it, and it hit Jeff right in the hand. As he was playing he shook it off and kept rocking! “Porch” and “Yellow Ledbetter” to close almost had me in tears.
When it was over I was so happy I never wanted the night to end. My brother and best friend and I just kept smiling and talking about the show. As we are walking back to the car the shirt scalpers were out and one guy had tye dye shirts and I asked my brother if he wanted one. So as we were talking to the guy, cops came running up to bust this guy and he took off 3 shirts that fell out of his pile right at our feet. And wouldn’t you know it? They were all our size. It was destiny!!!!
I was also able to secure my first concert poster. I kept that poster through a number of moves. Then for my birthday one year my wife got it framed and it hung in our garage. But as my son started to play hockey our garage turned into his shooting gallery, so now that poster hangs in my classroom!
I am a special education teacher and I am teaching the students all about Pearl Jam! I have loved this band since September of 1991 when I bought Ten!
